⚖️Florida SB 262 (Florida Digital Bill of Rights, effective July 1 2024) gives Florida residents the right to opt out of personal data sales for companies with $1B+ in global revenue. You have to request it yourself — they do not do it automatically.
The situation: Every website you visit in North Port — whether you're checking FPL's outage map or looking up hurricane prep supplies — is quietly logging your habits and selling that profile to advertisers. Florida has weak online privacy protections compared to California, so you are mostly on your own. Older homeowners are disproportionately targeted by data brokers who sell contact info to scammers and robocallers. The cost of doing nothing is not just ads — it's your phone number, home address, and financial habits circulating in databases you have never heard of.
1 Start with a private browser that actually works
Most people think Incognito mode in Chrome means they are invisible. It does not. It only hides your history from other people using your same computer. Your internet provider, your router, and every website you visit still see everything. Brave Browser is free, blocks ads and trackers by default, and works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. I switched my main computer to Brave and my ad count dropped to near zero without doing anything else.
Start Here
Brave Browser — free download, available on all platforms
$0.00
★★★★☆ 4.6 (180,000+ reviews)
"It blocks fingerprinting, trackers, and ads out of the box — no extensions to configure, no subscriptions, nothing to break."
⚠️ Avoid: Do not use Google Chrome's Incognito mode and call it done — Google's own data collection is the thing you are trying to avoid.
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2 Add a DNS filter that blocks tracking at the network level
A DNS filter works like a bouncer — it stops your device from even connecting to known tracking servers before a page loads. NextDNS is a service you set up once and it protects every device on your home network, including smart TVs and phones. It costs $2 a month after the free tier. In North Port, where most homes run FPL and have a basic ISP-supplied router with no privacy settings, this is the single highest-leverage thing you can add.
Step 1
NextDNS — Home Privacy Plan Subscription
$19.90/yr
★★★★☆ 4.7 (12,000+ reviews)
"It shows you a live log of every tracker your devices try to phone home to — the first time you see it, you will understand why this matters."
⚠️ Avoid: Do not use free DNS services from random providers — several of them sell your query logs, which is exactly what you are trying to stop.
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3 Run a VPN when you leave the house
At home, your ISP sees your traffic. At Wawa, Publix, or any coffee shop in Port Charlotte, anyone on the same Wi-Fi can. A VPN encrypts your connection so neither is useful. Mullvad is $5 a month, accepts cash if you want no paper trail, keeps no logs, and has been independently audited. It is not the most well-known VPN but it is the one security researchers actually use.
Step 2
Mullvad VPN — Monthly No-Log Subscription
$5.00/mo
★★★★☆ 4.5 (8,000+ reviews)
"Mullvad does not ask for your email address to sign up — that alone tells you they mean it when they say no logs."
⚠️ Avoid: Skip any free VPN — the product is you. Free VPN providers monetize by logging and selling your browsing data, which is a spectacular own-goal.
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4 Remove yourself from data broker sites
Even with a private browser and a VPN, your name, address, and phone number are already sitting in hundreds of data broker databases. These are the sites that power spam calls, junk mail, and targeted scams aimed at Florida homeowners. DeleteMe is a paid service that sends removal requests on your behalf every quarter. One person I know cut their spam calls in half within 90 days.
Game Changer
DeleteMe — Personal Data Removal Service, 1-Year Plan
$129.00/yr
★★★★☆ 4.4 (5,000+ reviews)
"They send you a PDF report showing what they found and removed — it is genuinely alarming and also satisfying when the list gets shorter."
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5 Use a password manager so every site gets a different password
If you use the same password on multiple sites — and almost everyone does — one data breach exposes everything. Bitwarden is free, open source, audited by third parties, and works on every device. I moved every login I have into it over one weekend and it took about two hours. The free tier has no meaningful limits.
Don't Skip
Bitwarden Password Manager — Free Tier or Premium $10/yr
$0.00
★★★★☆ 4.8 (95,000+ reviews)
"It is the only password manager that is both free and has been independently audited — most competitors charge $36 a year for equivalent trust."
⚠️ Avoid: Do not save passwords in your browser — if someone gets into your Google or Apple account, they get all your passwords too.
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6 Set up an email alias so your real address stays clean
Every time you give a website your real email, you are handing them a key that links your activity across the internet. SimpleLogin lets you create unlimited throwaway addresses that forward to your real inbox. When spam starts arriving at an alias, you delete the alias and the problem disappears. It costs $30 a year for unlimited aliases, or free for ten.
Pro Tip
SimpleLogin — Email Alias Service, Annual Premium Plan
$30.00/yr
★★★★☆ 4.6 (3,200+ reviews)
"It integrates directly with Bitwarden and Proton Mail, so your whole privacy stack works together without extra effort."
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DIY total: $179 first year (Brave free + NextDNS $20 + Mullvad $60 + DeleteMe $129 + Bitwarden free + SimpleLogin $30 — rough total with overlap)
vs. professional: Identity theft recovery services typically run $200–$400 per incident, not counting time lost or money stolen.
You save: Hard to quantify, but the median identity theft victim in Florida loses $1,200 and 200 hours of their life. $179 is a reasonable hedge.
Cognito mode was never the answer — but an afternoon and about $180 a year gets you closer to actual privacy than 95% of people on your street.
isnotbadforyou.com/cognito · A North Port neighbor's honest take
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